Electric signaling apparatus and circuits.



P. B. HERZOG, DEGD.

H. HERZOG, EXEGUTRIX.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS AND CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.10,1902. 1, 126,007. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

wit ma THE NORRIS PPIFRS (To PHOTO L/IHO, WASHING rmv L) c UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

FELIX BENEDICT HERZOG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; HENRIETTA HERZOG EXECUTRIX OF SAID FELIX BENEDICT HERZOG, DECEASED.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APBARATUS AND CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 26, 1915.

Original application filed April 8, 1889, Serial No. 306,474. Divided and this application filed February 10,

1902. Serial No. 93,282i}.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FELIX BENEDICT Hnuzoc, Ph. D., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county. and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Signaling Apparatus and Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

This is a division or continuation of a pending case S. No. 306,474 filed on April 8, 1889, since patented on Feb. 11, 1902 as 693,013, and is to be considered as related to two other applications caper;- and 93,2S3T} filed on even date herewith as oodivisions of said original case.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical signaling or communication, and embodies various points of novelty herein described as in one organization and also embodies various specific improvements whereby combinations of less than all the elements may advantageously be used separately.

All of the apparatus herein shown is de signed for use at a receiving station in connection with a system in which various radiating lines go to substations at which there is a suitable apparatus, which, however, not being a part of the present invention, is not referred to more specifically herein.

The apparatus herein set forth is of the type of visual indicator for receiving signals from variable signal transmitters at such sub-stations.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a section of half the apparatus in front elevation, Fig. 2 being a section of the same in elevation; Fig. 3 represents a plan of a portion of the mechanism designed to fit within that shown in Fig. 1 as indicated by the corresponding letters; Fig. 3 is a modification of a detail of Fig. 3, and illustrates a more complete form of the invention as to one feature thereof, although the simpler form shown in Fig. 3 is ample for many purposes; Fig. 4 represents a rear view and Fig. 5 a front view of one of the elements of the apparatus, and Figs. 6, 6 and 7 are modified details of the same.

A type of the apparatus at the sub-station, which is designed to work in connection with the present one, is found in the Patent 693013 issued on the application of which this is a division, and speaking generally consists of a variable signal transmitter in which the variation of the several signals coincides with the variation in the number of steps made by a step-by-step wheel. For a given organization such wheel may have the same number of steps as that shown in the step-by-step wheel in Fig. 3 of the present apparatus. Such substation apparatus moreover is desi ned to be driven as the result of a number of impulses sent to line, and the present apparatus embodies means for sending such impulses. Such a sub-station apparatus, moreover, is designed to produce at the receiving station an initial efi'ect to indicate to the operator there that he is required to begin operations. This feature is also embodied in the present apparatus.

Referring to the figures in detail a suitable case A is divided by a partition 13 so that a second case (Fig. 3) may fit into the same. The various circuit connections are made directly to strips Z Z of Fig. 1, and when the case of Fig. 3 is inserted in place suitable contact plates 1, 2 thereon go into contact with these strips, and these plates 1, 2 are directly connected with the magnet L and other circuit connections therein by lines 3 and 4, as shown in Fig.

3. Considering first the connection of the step-by-step mechanism of Fig. 3 the magnet L attracts an armature H, suitably fulcrumed on the bracket E", and retracted by the spring I against a limiting stop and adjuncts, Q, Q, Q". The armature H carries a driving pawl J" normally held in position by a suitable spring I to drive the ratchet wheel L", and in combination with a retaining pawl J held in place by its spring I attached to a post K operates in the well-known manner to cause the wheel L to rotate as the result of successive energizations of the magnet. In this way the wheel is given a predetermined number of advances or units of movement in a complete revolution. This rotation will take place in a clockwise direction until the en ergizations of the magnet L cease. The wheel L is mounted on a suitable spindle which projects through the front of the boX and ends in a pointer such as shown-in Fig. 5 adapted to cooperate with a suitable dial R. The wheel can be reversed by the act of an operator in disengaging the two pawls J", J, whereupon the spiral. spring J fixed to the spindle and to the wheel in the well-known manner will cause a reversal until the wheel returns to its normal position. The wheel can be stopped in any suitable manner, as for instance by having some outside member such as a pawl JJ, Fig. 3 engaging with the stud which'carries the hair spring. The disengagement of the pawls J", J referred to is produced in the form herein shown as the result of lifting up the bar H bracketed at F/ and which carries a hanger K arranged to engage with both of the pawls; and the raising of these devices is produced by the pin 1. bearing upward against the bar H whenever the operating lever C of Fig. 1 is raised, the said pin K being fastened to the said lever C" and projecting through a suitable hole add in the side of the indicator boX.

The successive impulses are produced as follows: Every energization of the magnet described causes its armature to carry with it by way of the spring connection H the hanging element F bracketed at F and carrying a contact spring F normally resting against a fixed contact'K mounted upon the piece L and in series with the magnet by line 5. The result isthe same as produced in ordinary trembler bells, but this mechanism has been devised for the purpose of securing a slow action and moreover one the speed of which may be prearranged within the necessary limit. By the organization shown, and by varying the length of the levers a very slow action can be produced instead of the rapid automatic rheotomic trembler effect which by reason of its speed could not be followed by any ordinary stepby-s'tep actuating apparatus such as shown in my Patent #693,013 heretofore men tioned. Therefore if current is admitted to the magnet in any suitable manner (forming no part of the present invention) the magnet will attract its armature, thus iinpelling the wheel and at the same time breaking the circuit because this leads from the magnet by connection to the contact point I controlled by the element F, and as the result of the attraction of the armature the circuit will be broken. As soon as it is broken the armature H and element F will be retracted by springs 6 and H, re-clos-ing the contact at K,- and the operation described will be repeated and thus for every repetition of this operation the wheel will advance one step, and oneimpulse will be sent along the line. The transmitting or circuit-controlling apparatus at the distant station will thus receive successive impulses, and an apparatus of a suitable type will be operated by these impulses until a change is made in the current combination produced at the sub-station so as to terminate-the regularity of these impulses. At this time the position of some suitable member moving with the step wheel L (as for instance a pointer centered at A in Fig. 5) will show as compared with its position at the begin ning of an operation how may steps have been taken, and hence the condition of the transmitting or controlling apparatus at the beginning of operations. In other words, where such transmitting apparatus is used to send variable signals, the indicator hand will thus correspond to the signal set, and if the transmitter has a dial, then the mark ings on the receiver dial as in Fig. 5, having been madeto cor-respond thereto. will be indicated by the hand on the spindle of the step wheel, which projects tl'n'ough the center of Fig. 5.

The organization shown is often used in connection with means for calling attention in a general manner to the fact that a current'change has taken place at a distant station. A device for this purpose isshown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the target or disk S. P. is designed to be raised into view so as to'show through the window ll of Fig. 5. The-target is fixed to a lever S. R. a rightangled extension of which S, R tends under force of attached spring SP to throw this target upwardly into view before window R, shown in Fig. 5. The target is normally held in its lower position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by an armature G of a magnet 0". The armature G' is normally kept in retractive position. by a spring H so as to bear against the upper side of the target SP as shown, and it is obvious that when this magnet-is attracted by its armature the target will be released for upward movement. To restore the parts to normal position, that is with the target down, Ihaveprovided an oscillating le er L pivoted at N and having its rear end connected by link DH to the hand-operated lever C The forward end of the lever L is provided with a pivoted toe T normally held in line with the lever by springs US and US. W hen toe T is carried upwardly by the movement of its lever L, it strikes a projection VS upon the end of the target and passes te same without disturbance to the target, but when said target is up the downward movement of the toe T engaging projection VS carries said target with it and thus resets it beneath the trigger armature G. These restoring movements of lever L are produced by the operation of the hand lever C* by reason of the connecting link DK as shown.

The-movement of the target SP may also be suitably arranged to control suitable switching mechanism of the main circuit, for instance by having said circuit led through the metallic portion of arm SR, and thence to a contact so that when the target is thrown up into indicating position the main circuit will be broken at this point. This break in the main circuit taking place simultaneously with an indication from a distant station is useful in signaling systems such as described in my copending application, Serial Number 93,281. Since the particular arrangement of circuits for operating the present apparatus form no part of the present invention, they need not be more particularly described.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description, that a forward movement in a clockwise direction of ratchet L and indicator 85 connected thereto will take place as long as magnet L is energized. In this way a transmitted signal from a 'distant station, for instance a hotel room, is indicated at the receiving station or office of the hotel, and it is sometimes desirable to group together signals of certain kinds and to keep an account of which group a transmitted signal belongs in. For example, a hotel clerk at the office may have a dial on his receiaving instrument which is divided off into articles costing 5 cents, other articles costing 10 cents, and others 15 cents, and so on,all articles of the same price being included within the same group on the dial as indicated in Fig. 5. After a signal has been received and the receiving instrument has been restored to its original position, the clerk might possibly forget in which group the signal was given and consequently omit to charge the guest or customer with the proper amount. The devices therefore shown in Figs. 3 l, 5, 6 and 7 are particularly designed to enable a better account to be kept of such signals, and to automatically register the total cash represented by articles which have been signaled for from distant stations.

It has heretofore been mentioned that the wheel L when released from its driving pawls J, J will be reversed by spring J until some part thereof, such as its hair spring stud, is engaged and held by a further retaining pawl J J of Fi g. 3 This re taining pawl J J is pivoted to some part of the frame, as shown in Fig. 8 and its tail is adapted to be engaged by projection T" on hanger K. Other projections of hanger K,T and T in a similar manner engage tail portions of pawls J and J, so that when the hanger K is lifted, pawls J and J will be released from ratchet J, while pawl J J will be thrown into the path of a projection 19 on said wheel J in an obvious manner. As heretofore described, the hanger K is moved by means of its connection to swing arm H,

said arm H in turn being raised by pin K extending through slot XH of the plate 11. The pin K is, as shown in Fig. 1, carried on the operating handle C and therefore the up and down restoring movement of this handle C produces the up and down movement of hanger K, Fig. 3. The parts are also preferably constructed so that when pawl. J J is lifted to release its pin 19, the wheel J moves forward sufficiently before being engaged by pawls J, J, to carry pin 19 past the hooked end of JJ. In this way the pawls ,J J and J and J" act as a step by step escapement with every up and down movement of hanger K, each step of movement being of course the distance between the pins or stops engaged by hook JJ. In the form shown in Fig. 3, I have shown several of said stops comprising pins 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 projecting from the face of wheel J and adapted to be engaged by pawl J J as above described. The purpose of having a number of these stops will now be described. If every article upon the dial shown in Fig. 5 was of the same price, for instance 5 cents, a single stop on the Wheel J would be sufiicient, because at every restoration of said wheel to normal position the operator would know afterward that some 5 cent article had been called for by signal, and if the clerk therefore merely kept account, either manually or by an automatic counter, of the number of times which he restored his instrument by moving up and down handle C he would know how many multiples of 5 cents should be charged up. If, however, the receiving dial contains articles the price of which is a multiple of 5, such as 10 cents, 15 cents, and so on, and some article costing 15 cents is signaled for, there should be an arrangement to require the clerk in completely restoring the instrument to move the handle C' three times instead of once, since the article signaled for costs three times 5,

or 15 cents. This is the purpose of the Sev eral pins upon the face of ratchet J, and .in this manner if account is kept of every time the handle C is moved in restoring the instrument, an accurate account of all 5 cent articles, or those costing a multiple thereof, will be known. The number of movements of lever C may of course be kept mentally, but they are preferably registered by an au tomatic counter, hereinafter referred to.

The action of the pins 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 will now be clear, but may be briefly summarized as follows. Pin 19 may be regarded as the home stop or zero position. Pin 20 should be placed to correspond with the division between the 5 and 10 cent articles, pin 21 to correspond with the division between 10 and 15 cent articles, and pin 23 to correspond with the division between 15 and 20 cent articles. If, then, a

20 cent article is signaled, for, the dial connected to shaft 85 will be" driven around to some one of the articles, such as a, b, 0, within this group. To restore the instrument the clerk lifts handle C once and the dial pointer partially returns until pawl JJ catches the next pin 23. To completely restore the pointer of the dial tozero posi-.

tion, therefore, the handle C must be moved as many times as there are pins 21, 22 and 23 from the home position. Consequently to bring the dial back from the QO cent group, the handle G must have been lifted four times, which indicates that an article costing four times 5 has been signaled for. It is 01 course obvious that this arrangement maybe applied to various uses widely different from that here shown, the presentparticular description being given merely to clearly point out the operation of my group signaling and registering. device.

A device for automatically counting and registering the several movements of the restoring lever is represented more or less diagrammatically in Figs. t, 5 and 6, in which A. indicates an ordinary form of counting mechanism having an operating plunger B which'is depressed for actuating the same in the usual way. A bell crank lever pivoted at B has one end extending above the plunger B", and its other end in the path of a pivoted element P". The element P is adapted to be given a partial rotation by means ofa'key stud C, whereby thebellcrank lever B is moved to actuate the counter. The key stud C may be turned either by akey as shown at C in 7, or by a permanently attached handle indicated at C, Fig. The key stud C is also preferably arranged to actuate, .by means of cam engagement, a slide bar C", which slide bar in turn is connected to the studK' for lifting arm H in the restoring movement. The slide bar C is guided in straps D, and at its lower end rests upon a spring D which is lifted by the ca 1nD"of the key stud. (I, when said key stud is turned. By this construction the rotation of the handle C' automatically restores, orpartially restores. the instrument andat the same time keeps accurate count upon a numbering machine of the restoring movements. Of course a continued rotation of said crank C will very quickly restore the parts to zero and register on the numbering machine the proper multiples of 5 cents representing the article signaled for.

I do not mean to limit myself to the precise arrangement shown, either of the elements alone, or of the manner of their cooperation with each other; thus, for example, the circuit-breaking drop operating with the indicating disk S P, and directly restored by the operation of the lever C may be restored by any other moving part,

h umb r n mach ne, m y bevclik d by theup or the down stroke of that lever; or the rheotome may be controlled in another manner. These examples are here given for illustration merely.

WVhat I claim is 1. An electric indicator comprising a mov ing member constructed to have a predetermined number of units of forward motion from a normal position, a magnet controlling this motion, means for holding said member in the position into which it has been moved and means-constructed to restore it to its normal position comprising devices for producing successive portions of such restoration said devices operating to cause such restoration to require two or more partial restoring movements of the said member to an extent greater than that of the said unit of motion and means for recording the number of such partial restoring movements.

2. A magnetically controlled wheel constructed to move forward by steps or units of motion in combination with means torreversing the motion of the wheel comprising devices to check this. reversal at successive points each of which corresponds to several of said units of forward motion.

3. In an indicating mechanism, in combination, an indicator, an electro-magnet, means controlled thereby for giving said inlicator a step-by-step advance to indicate a signal, signal member normally held in a non signaling position and controlled by said magnet, and a member independent of control by said magnet arranged to restore said indicator andsaid signal member simultaneously to their normal positions after the signalhasbeengiven.

t. In an indicating mechanism, in combination, an indicator, an electro-magnet, means controlled thereby for giving said indicator a' step-by step advance, a signal normally held me non-signaling position and controlled by saidmagnet, and a circuit through said magnet arranged to be broken by a movement of said signal.

5. In anindicating mechanism, in combination, an indicator device,electro-magnetic means for advancing said indicator device into a succession of different indicating positions having a different significance, and

a movable counterfor counting the number of successive indicating positions assumed by said indicator device, andthereby indicating the signaling position of said indicating device, and means'associated with said counter and indicating device, for acting on the latter, such that said action on the indicator device and the action of said counter are interdependent.'

' 6. In an indicating mechanism, in combination, an indicator device, electro-magnetic means for advancing said indicator device into a succession of different indicating positions having a diiferent significance, means for restoring said indicator device to its normal position by a succession of movements corresponding to said difl'erent successive indicating positions, and a movable counter actuated by said restoring means for counting the number of said successive movements, and thereby indicating the sig naling position of said indicating device after the same has been restored.

'7. A magnetically controlled indicator comprising means for moving it forward during the act of indication, a supporting base with means whereby said indicator may be removably connected thereto, mechanism on said base acting to restore the indicator to its normal position, together with registering devices, all cooperating so that when the indicator is associated with said base, said indicator will be brought into cooperative connection with said restoring mechanism and the registering devices; together with a circuit controlling device constructed and arranged to be brought into operation during the actuation of the indicator and registering devices.

8. In an indicating mechanism, in combination, an indicator device, means for advancing said indicator device into a succession of different indicating positions, means cooperating with said indicator device so that said diiierent indicating positions cor respond to progressive regularly increasing numbers, means for returning said indicator device to its normal position after each. signal has been indicated thereby, and a movable counter actuated by said indicator returning means for counting the number of successive indicating positions assumed by said indicator device in giving the signal.

In witness whereof, Ihave hereunto signed my name in the presence of two Witnesses, this 10th day of February, 1902.

F. BENEDICT HERZOG.

lVitnesses:

EDWARD Y. PURDY, DANIEL J. MALONEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0. 

